Debra J. Saunders

Debra J. Saunders Thursday, December 29, 2011

“You don’t normally end on a triumphant note. You enter in triumph and you leave on tiptoe,” quoth Jerry Brown at a Tuesday press conference to sum up the first year of his second stint as California governor.

For one hour, Brown was highly quotable: “I’m a reformed reformer,” he offered. And: “Just because a bill is useless doesn’t mean I should veto it.”

“The main story is the budget,” said Brown, who gave himself a passing grade. He had promised voters that, despite a $25 billion shortfall, he would balance the state budget without gimmicks. He came close to succeeding: He cut the shortfall in half. It’s hard to imagine the Democratic Legislature passing billions in spending cuts if Republican Meg Whitman had been elected.

Yes, Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga (San Bernardino County), told me after the presser, Brown deserved credit for the cuts, but “he was forced to do it. He didn’t have any choice.”

Please note that when Brown went after nonessential spending – like redevelopment – GOP support was weak.

Brown also promised “no new taxes without voter approval.” The rub: the Democrat did not tell voters until after he was elected that he wanted to extend temporary tax increases.

That put heat on GOP lawmakers whom Brown needed to put a tax measure on the ballot. Because Californians had rejected the same tax increase by a 2-1 margin in 2009, Brown could not scare up the handful of Republican votes he needed. (GOP leaders blame Brown’s refusal to put pension reform and a spending -cap on the same ballot.) The tactic bought Sacramento time.

Now Brown says he wants to put a new “temporary” measure to increase taxes by $7 billion annually on the November ballot. He says he believes voters will pass it. So, whether they do or not, Brown has bought himself more time.

In Sacramento, this is winning. Once again, Californians get more government than they want to pay for. Cross your fingers and pray for the recovery.